These guidelines provide information on how to safely enjoy holiday celebrations while reducing the potential spread of COVID-19. To reduce the spread of COVID-19, consider how you can modify your holiday plans to keep your friends, families and communities healthy and safe.
General Guidelines
- People should not participate in any winter activities if they are sick or experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. If you think you may be sick, use the online Saskatchewan COVID-19 self-assessment tool and follow the directions.
- Shopping malls, box stores and retail facilities planning holiday-based events must do so in compliance with the public health order. Please refer to the Clothing and Retail Guidelines. Events that typically involve close contact between individuals not from the same household (i.e. photos with Santa, Santa's workshop, gift wrapping, interactive displays, charitable collections) must be modified to occur in a manner so that physical distancing can be maintained.
- This may include having barriers around Santa, having Santa in the background (i.e. on a stage) that people walk by and have photos taken in front of, etc.
- All transactions or interactions should be contactless wherever possible.
Holiday Season Guidance
- Private indoor gatherings are limited to immediate household only except:
- Individuals, who live alone, are permitted to join one household of up to four people (always the same household and single person).
- Individuals and/or households must cease meeting if anyone becomes ill.
- Co-parenting arrangements are permitted to continue.
- People may meet and greet outdoors with up to 10 people with physical distancing between households and must avoid shared washrooms and facilities.
- Concerts, choirs, plays, caroling and other performing arts activities must align with the Performing Arts Guidelines.
- Consider virtual gatherings.
- All served food should be plated by a single person. One person should handle the preparation of food and drink following proper food safety protocols and should be wearing a non-medical mask.
- Vulnerable individuals, such as seniors and those with underlying health conditions, should receive their food first to minimize cross-contamination.
- Consider having individual portions delivered from a restaurant or caterer.
- Guests and hosts should wash their hands with soap and water or use a hand sanitizer approved by Health Canada (DIN or NPN number) prior to eating, as well as before and after handling food or food packaging.